More men are getting abortions in the US after new abortion laws

In June of last year, the US Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade was overturned and states were given the freedom to decide for themselves about abortion rights. In the weeks that followed, Florida urologist Doug Stein saw contraceptive requests nearly triple.

In the second half of 2022, data from healthcare analyst Comodo Health showed that the number of sterilizations among men in the U.S. was higher than in previous years. Calculated taking into account previous trends Economist The Supreme Court ruling led to an increase of 17 percent in the six months after the ruling and 29 percent between July and September.

The number of vasectomies in the United States has been on the rise for some time. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of operations increased by an average of 4 percent annually. But the number of American men is lower than it was 20 years ago (and vasectomy rates still lag far behind female sterilization rates).

In 2002, National Health Surveys showed that 6.9 percent of men between the ages of 18 and 45 had a haircut. In the most recent surveys of 2017 and 2019, it was 5.4 percent. Economist It estimates that around 20,000 men will undergo the short, almost painless surgery between July and December 2022.

Conservative countries

The increase in contraceptives occurred in all 46 states, but was strongest in states where abortion rights were strictly restricted. In Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, the increase rate rose above 40 percent.

Not only were the new patients concentrated in more conservative states, but they were also younger than the average vasectomy candidate. Comodo’s data shows a small but steady decline in the average age of patients across the country in the second half of 2022. In Dr. Stein’s practice, the number of childless men under the age of 30 opting for the procedure has almost increased since the ruling. 50 percent.

Equality of men and women

Why do strict abortion laws push men to the operating table? According to Stein, his patients typically cite one of three reasons. Some worry that without access to abortion, they will have no real backup if their primary contraceptive method fails — castration has a success rate of more than 99 percent. Other men who had been considering the procedure for some time were apparently worried that a vasectomy might be banned next time. A final group of men considered their activity to be similar to that of women.

Vasectomy is often a sacrifice. As with any surgery, there is recovery time and the risk of complications, no matter how minor. And many men have misconceptions about how the procedure affects their sense of masculinity. But with their sterilization they take responsibility for sterilization and no longer put it on the woman. Studies show that higher vasectomy rates go hand in hand with gender equality. The reversal of Roe v. Wade is a blow to women’s rights in America. Increasing numbers of male sterilizations may offer little comfort.

Translation: Laura Therans